


Breaking into a New Role

by 305unreal



Series: Breaking In [1]
Category: Recess (Cartoon)
Genre: Anxiety, Gen, inner turmoil, sixth grade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:54:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23491237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/305unreal/pseuds/305unreal
Summary: TJ's new role as King Theo threatens to tear apart relationships, forcing his friends to form new ones
Series: Breaking In [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1690135
Kudos: 3





	Breaking into a New Role

After rethinking his wardrobe for the tenth time this morning, TJ decides to keep his trusty red ball cap but shed his olive-green jacket. He’s wearing an old pair of jeans and a new red long-sleeved t-shirt with caution. With his six-friend group dropped to five, TJ is very shy and anxious. He feels like without the perfect six, their circle will fall.

**|To: Teej**

**|From: Spin**

Ready for school, your highness?

Since King Freddie moved onto middle school, the crown was passed onto TJ – declaring him King Theo. This started his anxiety due to all the decisions he’ll have the power over for the year. Douglas and Barry are his servants, while Vince and Spinelli are at his right hand. All four oblige by what TJ has to say, but it only spikes his anxiety more. He doesn’t know who his real friends are.

**|To: Spin**

**|From: TJ**

Ready as I’ll ever be.

There are several kids they no longer need to worry about. Lawson and his crew have moved onto seventh grade. Middle school. And Gretchen went with them. The gang was unable to hold her back as her test scores were higher than anyone, and she was throwing the curve. This is also TJ’s sister Becky’s last year of high school. Last semester.

Spinelli walks over; she and TJ bike to school. It’s when TJ feels the freest. Free from responsibilities. Free from making choices. Free from judgment. It doesn’t last long. From the bike rack to his kingly office, TJ and Spinelli are confronted by Fingers Malloy. The fifth-grader has a load of snacks from the vending machines, selling at a slightly lower price than Hustler Kid.

“Move it, Finger face!” Spinelli harshly shoves him away. “The king needs to get to class.”

When Timmy Milton gets into a fight with third graders Peanut Butter Kid and Ice Cream Girl over a found lunch box, TJ is called over to settle the dispute. As King of the Playground, TJ often finds himself much too busy after school. With Gretchen busy in middle school, the gang falls out of their Friday night studying. Mikey and Gus try to keep up since the other three continue canceling.

**|To: Guys**

**|From: Gus**

Are we still on for laser tag this Saturday?

**|To: Gus**

**|From: TJ**

Can’t make it. King stuff.

**|To: Gus**

**|From: Vince**

Maybe next weekend

**|To: Gus**

**|From: Spin**

We’ll get together later

**|To: Gus**

**|From: Gretch**

I’m working on a big project

Gus looks up from his phone and leans against his best friend. He feels like he’s been downgraded to “new kid” status again and no one wants to be around him. No one except Mikey. The boys go play laser tag on their own. They aren’t part of the group anymore. Nothing was said, but it’s basically established.

In the second week of March, Lieutenant Colonel Griswald has been transferred across seas. His wife Madge and son Gus have no choice but to go along. Gus and Mikey promise to stay in touch, but that’s already a difficult thing to do with their diminished friend group.

With Gus away, Mikey’s grades suffer. He doesn’t like to go to the playground and see his former friends ruling over everyone else. Instead, he starts spending time in the library. And in the office. Randall is at first suspicious. Unable to do anything toward King Theo and his servants, he turns to focus on Mikey. The latter attempts to befriend Library Kid and even Menlo. The girl who basically lives in the library has a lot to say; Menlo warily accepts his friendship after Mikey volunteers to help him file in the main office.

“What’s your deal, Blumberg?” Randall confronts him just outside the office one afternoon. “First, you’re never around the king. Then, you’re not on the playground. And now, you’re taking my only friend.”

“That’s not true.” Mikey protests. “King Theo doesn’t want to hang out with me anymore, so I don’t want to watch him on the playground. And you have friends.”

Randall narrows his eyes. “Name two _besides_ _Menlo_.”

“Barry!”

“Barry was more of a passing acquaintance who decided to side with our current king.”

“What about Scribe Kid?”

Randall shrugs. “He’s more Menlo’s friend. Not mine. Face it, Mikey. He’s my only friend, and you’re taking him.”

“I can have more than one friend,” Menlo speaks out from behind them. “And Erik is hardly my friend.”

“Who?” Mikey and Randall ask simultaneously.

“The chap you call Scribe Kid.” When Randall opens his mouth to demand how Menlo knows the kid’s name, the latter continues. “I work in the main office. I know _everyone_ ’s names. And… I can share friends.”

Randall shakes his head, but Menlo quickly puts a hand on his shoulder and wordlessly encourages Mikey to do the same.

At the end of the month, King Theo’s tyranny spreads like wildfire. Spinelli has been ill, and all her duties have fallen onto Barry, Douglas, and Vince. The king barks orders right and left. The boys develop small arguments that delve into war.

Feeling better but not willing to return to Dictator TJ, Spinelli ditches school. She goes to the mall but hangs out in the parking lot rather than going in. she tries to look inconspicuous by removing her beanie and letting her hair down. In the parking lot, she runs into some mildly familiar faces. CJ Rottweiler from 98th Street School has dyed and chopped her hair. It’s in a black pixie cut puffball, and she’s wearing all dark colors.

Standing with CJ is another pixie cut girl who kept her ginger hair. Her name is Lola, and she wears dark purple and black. An Asian girl named Lily has her hair tied in a bun, and she wears hot pink and black. The other two girls in the group are Hispanic in black and blue, Judy, and Caucasian in light red and black, Megan. The last member and only boy of the group is the one Spinelli recognizes most.

“Butch? What are you doing here?”

“Look who it is.” He sneers. “The king’s lackey.”

“Hey!” She snaps, affronted. “I am _nobody’s_ lackey.”

“Sure.” The middle schooler shrugs. “As for your question, we’re hangin’.”

“Hangin’?” She repeats.

The girls nod, and Butch shrugs. Spinelli takes it on as a challenge, and she leans against the wall with them. She can hang, too.

When the workload becomes too much as a king’s lackey, Vince throws down his foot. He throws down the candy, cookies, fanning. All of it.

“Do you even remember recess, Teej? Our friends? Mikey’s way with food, Gus’s bad luck? Spinelli always making sure no one was spying on us? The card games, the pranks?”

“That’s the past, Vince.” King Theo stares hard at him. “The kindergarteners grew up. The snitch stays inside with the other freaks. Your kickball dreams, crushed. Either live with your head in the clouds or stay popular with me.”

Vince leaves shortly after. Other kids pledge their loyalty, striving for the popular vote.

When graduation comes, the year spirals back and blows up in the mighty king’s face. He distractedly passes the crown onto Fingers. Mikey’s name isn’t called, TJ realizes after he walks up. Gus’s isn’t either. He watches with disappointment toward himself when Vince walks by, and he doesn’t even hear Menlo’s name but sees him walk down. When Spinelli is called, she looks different. Darker. Randall somehow looks happier near the end, like he’s found somewhere he belongs.

TJ sinks into self-pity. He’s back where he started. The year went by too quickly, and he ruined his last year at Third Street elementary. Middle school is coming, and he isn’t ready for the next role he needs to fulfill.


End file.
